What would you like to search for?

Our News

WWF sounds alarm on Finland and Sweden's failure to protect Europe’s last old-growth forests

Despite being home to the largest share of Europe’s remaining primary and old-growth forests, Finland and Sweden are putting these irreplaceable ecosystems at risk.

new WWF report, launched today, reveals alarming evidence that both countries are falling short of their commitments under the EU Green Deal and Biodiversity Strategy.

On January 27–28, the European Commission will host a pivotal workshop in Helsinki to address old-growth forest conservation. But as discussions begin, WWF warns that urgent action is needed to prevent further destruction of these critical habitats.

The EU Green Deal sets a clear objective: the last remaining primary and old-growth forests in Europe must be strictly protected. Yet, the WWF report uncovers worrying trends. Finnish and Swedish governments are exploiting loopholes to allow logging in forests that should be safeguarded. Thousands of hectares of forests with high conservation value are logged each year, despite their importance for climate stability, biodiversity, and long-term ecological health.

“Publicly available evidence shows both Finland and Sweden are deviating from EU policies,” says Mai Suominen, Forest Expert at WWF Finland. “This cannot continue if we are serious about tackling the climate and biodiversity crises.”

WWF emphasises that protecting primary and old-growth forests is essential to achieving Europe’s climate and biodiversity goals—and to maintaining the EU’s political credibility. Instead of prioritising short-term biomass supply for the forest industry, Finland and Sweden must put forest protection at the heart of their strategies for a circular and sustainable bioeconomy.

“Forest protection isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s fundamental to the success of a sustainable and circular bioeconomy,” says Peter Roberntz, Forest Expert at WWF Sweden.

The WWF report lists several recommendations, but foremost it calls on the European Commission to monitor national implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy. Finland and Sweden must credibly fulfill their commitments to strictly protect primary and old-growth forests.

“The consequences of inaction would be severe. Continued logging of primary and old-growth forests will not only undermine Europe’s environmental goals but also erode public trust in national governments and the EU itself,” concluded Anke Schulmeister-Oldenhove, Manager, Forests, of the WWF European Policy Office. “The EU Commission’s workshop in Helsinki must be a turning point. We urge decision-makers to put words into action and ensure Europe’s last great forests are protected before it’s too late.”

Notes to the editor

WWF recommendations to policy-makers and companies

1. Finnish and Swedish governments should:
  • Implement the EU guidelines on primary and old growth forests in full and utilise sound science for defining the criteria primary and old-growth forests.
  • In Finland, protect the already identified and mapped state-owned forests and map privately owned lands which has never been done in any systematic way.
  • In Sweden, impose a logging moratorium of delineated primary and old growth forests, and allocate resources to map and protect those which have not yet been verified and delineated, e.g. “continuity forests” .
  • Allocate resources for mapping and protecting primary forests and old-growth forests on private lands.
  • Respect the rights of the Samí people.
2. The European Commission should:
  • Develop and clearly communicate how the European Commission will monitor Finland and Sweden in mapping and protecting primary and old-growth forest according to expectations in EU policies including legal compliance to EU regulations.
  • Explore different mechanisms to develop shared financing for mapping, monitoring and protecting primary and old-growth forests together with national governments, forest owners, companies and stakeholders.    
3. Companies should:
  • Push governments to credibly implement international agreements and the EU’s policies and regulations in order to protect forests with high conservation value, including primary and old-growth forests.
  • Engage in market-based systems, e.g. certification systems and payment for ecosystem services, so that they clearly contribute to the protection and restoration of high conservation value forests including primary and old growth forests. 
  • Together with stakeholders, governments and the European Commission, explore the development of shared finance mechanisms to map and protect primary and old-growth forests.
© Ola Jennersten / WWF-Sweden
Old growth spruce forest, Sweden.

Share This!

Help us spread the message